Material handling is defined as the organized movement of a specific material from one place to another, at the right time and in the right quantity. It may involve lifting, moving horizontally or vertically, and storing materials. It is an important factor in the smooth operation of any food processing plant and can greatly affect the quality of the product and the cost and profitability of the operation.
From the moment a material enters the factory gate, a cost is added each time it is handled. Each movement also carries the risk of damaging the material. Material handling is so common that it is often overlooked in cost calculations. Everyone knows that shipping has to be included as a cost. Material handling and flow should be viewed as an internal shipping operation that has an associated monetary value. The cost of handling, storing and moving materials must be added to the cost of the final product.
In many operations, production has been streamlined to be as efficient as possible, but little or nothing has been done to make material handling more efficient. It is not surprising that the costs can reach 50% of the total manufacturing cost. Improper handling of raw materials can be a major factor in product waste and damage. Every time a material is moved, there is a danger of it being bumped, dropped and crushed. The unsafe operation of industrial trucks, conveyors and carts has been responsible for many serious accidents in plants.
It affects the manufacturing and distribution costs and the selling price of all food products. Modern handling methods are aimed at achieving movement and distribution with a minimum of labor, waste, and cost, in the shortest possible time, and with maximum safety.
In the food industry, material handling relates to the movement of raw materials from a warehouse, supplier, or receiving bay to bulk storage area or to a processing line. During processing, materials must be moved from one process to another. After processing, the materials must be moved from packaging to a warehouse or to shipping.
Establishing a material handling plan requires a great deal of effort and is expected to produce co-benefits. The objectives of material handling include lowering the cost of handling by better utilizing labor, machines, and space, lowering operating cost, reducing production or processing time, increasing efficient use of storage space, maintaining the moving material, thus reducing the space occupied by production material, preventing injuries and accidents related to handling, improving product quality and reducing material waste.
